


Relational

by FawnoftheWoods



Series: Where the Hitter Is [7]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Crew as Family, Episode Tag, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-11 06:46:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13518741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FawnoftheWoods/pseuds/FawnoftheWoods
Summary: Eliot can't believe the things he does for this new crew.  He can't believe why he does it either.Or maybe he can





	Relational

**Author's Note:**

> Tag for the Miracle job from Eliot's persepective

One of the things about this crew that Eliot was learning was that they were very relational.  Last night, for example, he had to watch “Death of a Salesman”.  He had to go because Sophie had looked at each of them with a brilliant grin that only a monster would deny.  And because Parker looked at him in utter confusion asking why someone would kill a salesman  And because Nate swore that if Hardison and Eliot didn’t come, the next con he would switch their usual jobs.  And because Hardison talked his ear off until he agreed to come.

Bloody hell, this was why he never got attached to a crew before.  He was sitting through one of the worst plays in his opinion because he was convinced to, without a single use of force or payment.  About halfway through Willy’s scene with Barnaby or whatever the kid’s name is, Eliot lets his mind slide into survival mode.  Its the mode he went into when he had to withstand non-lethal torture for a determined amount of time.  A type of meditation that allowed him to be aware of his surroundings.  Enough to know that Parker was completely horrified by the characters until the funeral and Hardison was twitching in his seat (Nate made sure he left his phone in the car).  He had already scouted all possible exits and entrances and noted with resign that there were no dangerous men he could study in the audience.

When it was finally over, Eliot tried to escape without the talking part of the event.  He succeeded in avoiding Sophie, by virtue that she was changing.  He wasn’t so successful with Parker, who appeared on his car when he made it two blocks away.  She made him stop to answer questions about the storyline, which he had researched enough to be able to follow.  It was close to 2am before he’d satisfied her curiosity and could head to his bed for the night.

The next morning he was just hanging up his coat when Sophie strolled in.  Hurriedly he ducked into the kitchenette, hopefully to find back-up.  Or a sacrificial lamb.  

He found Hardison.  

Not that the geek was helpful.  He knew not to tell Sophie the truth,  _thank you for the suggestion Hardison!_ , he wasn’t an idiot.  Luckily for Sophie’s thrilled smile, and their sanity, Parker popped up with the best compliment.  Sophie could spot a fib, but Parker’s view of awesome was skewed enough that things that weren’t awesome she sometimes genuinely thought were, awesome that is.  They really should have known to stop her before she elaborated, but Sophie turned back to them and suddenly there was other things on their mind.  Like making a comment on the play.

Luckily Hardison was born babbling.

Eliot didn’t have to say anything but agree with the geek.  He shared a horrified look with Parker before Hardison asked if he had been in worse situations.  Thinking back to what he had used to survive that night and the flashbacks it had brought of Shanghai, no, he hadn’t.  At least in his nightmares, he could fight and hate his enemies.  He  _ liked _ Sophie.

000

He had known he would need to help the crew.  Even on an emotional level, he was the most normal.  Wasn’t that a kick in the pants.

But Nate wasn’t the one he thought he would need to help.  When Sophie said “ex-wife” he knew that wasn’t true.  Even being in the church was sending Nate back.  A friend from seminary school, a plea by his ex-wife.  Eliot could see where this was going.  They were going to help Nate.

God, he was so nervous trying to convince them to take the case.  Usually, he just introduced the client, but this case, with this problem, he needed them to take it.

Eliot always helped his crew while he ran with them.  Nate was a big boy, he could take care of himself.  

But to save a church?  Eliot remembered that teenager with god in his heart going off to save the country.  He may not have seen him recently, but he remembered what god used to mean to him.

Apparently what god meant to Nate too.

The man spent half the con trying to defend his life choices to his friend, but Eliot could see that while Father Paul was struggling with what Nate was actually doing, he was one of Nate’s best friends.  When he looked at Nate, he was annoyed at what Nate had done to Father Paul’s life, but he never was disgusted with what Nate was doing in general.

A true friend.

Eliot had no problem helping Nate keep one of those.

000

Helping Hardison was normal.  He was a geek.  He was squishy.  That meant he needed his type of protection.  That was easy.  But the kid was like 24.  He needed get out from behind his computer.

When Nate asked them to find the gangbangers behind the knock down, it was perfect timing.  Usually Hardison would simply sit behind his computer and listen as Eliot went to interrogate, but this time, Eliot wanted him out there.  He also wanted to see what the kid would do outside his element, and a bunch of wannabe punks?  Safest danger Eliot could place Hardison in.

Hardison babbled when nervous.  The hitter knew that, but somehow Eliot was going to figure out a way to convey when Eliot wanted him to shut up, and when Eliot needed him to shut up.  Eliot knew he’d have to work on that, find an authoritative voice or something.

But later, when there weren’t four guys following them.

Asking the punks the questions went smoothly.  It was always amusing when guys kept a gun pointed at their junk  _ and _ got within reach of an enemy.  

When his buddy pulled another, it was a chance to teach Hardison and to see what the kid thought of guns.  It had his attention.  Good!  His stutter was minimal though.  Enough to show he did care about Eliot’s safety and didn’t like the whole gun equal bad thing.  Not enough that he wasn’t thinking though.

After Eliot’s lesson to both Hardison and the punk, he asked the question again.  Hardison's big brain was actually still very much online.  He put together the other punks stance, their facial expressions and what Nate said about the shoulder.  He even did a solid leg shoot shoulder shove into the injured shoulder.

He also seemed to have no problem with a gun pointed at the gang banger, even when an ally wasn’t holding it.  That meant the kid only was nervous when the gun was pointed at someone he didn’t want hurt.  A weakness, but a workable one.  And he hadn’t lost his mind to panic, he trusted Eliot to maintain control of the environment.

He even kept track of the information they needed.  Eliot could work with that.  Even if the kid did act like a puppy looking for praise.  Hardison was a good geek who was getting very attached to Eliot.  

The kid was growing on him too.

000

Parker was easily the one Eliot thought about helping the most.  She was also the easiest one to help, because she asked when she needed to ask.  She wasn’t shy about asking questions and she rarely got into something she couldn’t extract herself from on her own, if the need presented itself.

She also was hysterical.  Her sense of humor was a dark, halfway childlike expression of her adrenaline junkie personality.  

“Attention must be paid!”

And her smile when Eliot dumped the assistant on his ass, was fleeting and genuine.  And she gave the mark caffeine and speed.  She rocked!  And making Father Paul pregnant was great!

Asking if Santa Claus had a church though?  At first he thought she was joking.  St Nicholas wasn’t Santa Claus.

The second time Parker mentioned it, they all told her the man wasn’t Santa.  She just glared at them though.  

Oh hell, she actually believed in Santa.

He grabbed her to one side while they were waiting for Sophie to set up the mark and Nate to escape his friend.  He wanted to know what she believed.

She didn’t believe in the Christmas delivery guy story, giving toys to kids.  She believed in the magical elf, the man who actually knew all the kids.  Kids who didn’t get a visit from Santa were kids who didn’t have an address and didn’t want toys.  She did believe he knew about them though.  That he knew she existed even when no one else cared.  

She didn’t say that last part, but Eliot could add.

At the end of the con, he realized he couldn’t break her belief.  Far from destroying her belief that St Nicholas was Santa, Sophie’s explanation only enhanced the thief’s belief.

Santa Claus was the patron Saint of Thieves. 

000

He heard Father Paul’s last comments to Nate.  He had to agree, this entire job was a miracle.  Eliot was getting attached to four people who needed him.  Not for money or fear, but him.

Five thieves just saved a church.

It was a miracle.


End file.
